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Monkeypox: How does the virus spread and what are the symptoms?
IndyTV
Warning: contains graphic images
One of the most shocking Monkeypox cases to date has seen a man’s nose begin to rot.
A German patient, 40, visited his doctor after seeing a red spot on his nose, but he was told it was sunburn and nothing more serious.
However, it wasn’t long before his nose turned a darker colour and sores appeared on his face and around his penis.
According to the medical journal Infection, he was soon diagnosed with Monkeypox as well as a number of sexually transmitted diseases.
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It was confirmed that he had HIV and syphilis, with the latter having spread to multiple organs. The patient’s HIV has also developed into AIDS.
His HIV diagnosis meant he was susceptible to necrosis, which is the death of body tissue, and it made the case more severe.
The report stated that a controlled HIV infection "does not appear to be a risk factor" for severe cases. They did however add that this case "illustrates the potential severity of MPXV infection in the setting of severe immunosuppression and untreated HIV infection."
The patient's case is one of the most extreme documented so farBoesecke, C., Monin, M.B., van Bremen, K. et al.
The patient’s lesions dried and his nose "partially improved”. However, no further update on the man’s condition was given in the journal.
There are a total of 38,000 monkeypox cases around the world. Germany currently has the third highest number of cases with 3,186. Only the US and Spain have a higher rate with 12,689 and 5,719 recorded cases respectively.
As of 8 August, there are 2,914 confirmed and 103 highly probable monkeypox cases in the UK: 3,017 in total. Of these, 2,883 are in England.
Following monkeypox infection, a rash, initially similar to a chickenpox, usually occurs within one to three days of a fever.
The rash goes through several difference stages first developing into papules and fluid filled pustules before forming a scab and falling off.
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